 Adrian Williams-Strong, in her eighth WNBA season, has taken over the starting center spot for the Monarchs.
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The WNBA entered its 12th season with a slew of star-studded teams, and the handful that received most of the fanfare could be found out West, namely the Sparks, Mercury and Storm. Phoenix, led by Diana Taurasi and Cappie Pondexter, was coming off a championship season. Los Angeles added rookie sensation Candace Parker and saw the return of Lisa Leslie. And Seattle built a virtual All-Star team by adding Swin Cash, Sheryl Swoopes and Yolanda Griffith to the mix.
The acquisition of Griffith occurred late in the offseason and also came as a bit of a surprise. Prior to joining the Storm as a free agent, the veteran center had spent her entire WNBA career with the Sacramento Monarchs and had become the face of the franchise, shaping the team’s defensive identity even in the twilight of her career. After being drafted by Sacramento in 1999, Griffith racked up honors like Newcomer of Year, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP, made multiple All-Star teams and led the Monarchs to their only title in 2005 when she was named Finals MVP.
At age 38, Griffith's retirement seemed more likely than a change in uniforms, especially considering she battled injuries throughout the 2007 season. But Griffith, perhaps sensing one last chance at a WNBA title, decided to move on to Seattle, and Sacramento was left with the reality that an era was over.
“There’s a gap. There’s a big void to fill, no question,” said Sacramento coach Jenny Boucek. “It was inevitable that we were going to have to make this transition at some point, so we’re going through that process right now.”
The day after Griffith left for the Emerald City, to the surprise of no one the Monarchs went after a center in the 2008 WNBA Draft, selecting 6-5 Maryland star Laura Harper with their top pick.
But you could even argue that Sacramento had begun forming its new identity and preparing for Griffith’s departure long before it became official, as evidenced by the development of new-generation talents like Rebekkah Brunson and Nicole Powell. While Griffith’s production experienced a drop-off in 2007, the team still managed to make the postseason and nearly knocked off a talented San Antonio squad.
It should also be noted that along with Griffith, the Monarchs have also lost the services of
Despite the setbacks up front, the Monarchs have come close to making the transition seamless. The team has started off the 2008 season a respectable 3-4, which is currently tied for fourth in the West, and has won two of its last three. That’s thanks in large part to the new core, the increased effectiveness of point guard Ticha Penicheiro and, more important, the admirable job Adrian Williams-Strong and Harper have done filling the void in the middle.
Williams-Strong, who joined the Monarchs at the start of the 2007 season, has been faced with the tough task of taking over the starting center spot from Griffith. But Williams-Strong was ready for her new role, and that has greatly benefited Sacramento.
“Last year I came to help her a lot, because it was pretty much supposed to be her last year,” said Williams-Strong. “She was injured a lot of the year and DeMya went down, so I started getting a little bit more minutes last year.”
Last season as Griffith’s backup, Williams-Strong averaged 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game, while shooting 48 percent from the floor. This season, Williams-Strong – in her first season as a regular starter since 2003 with Phoenix -- has upped her numbers to 8.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20 minutes per contest while shooting 55 percent from the field.
“This is not a new thing for me (laughs),” said Williams-Strong. “It’s my eighth year in this league and for years I’ve had a lot of tough experiences in the league. The only thing that’s really happening is I’m reawakening to how it felt before.”
All of this is new to Harper. But fortunately for the 10th overall pick in April’s draft, she finds herself on a team full of veteran leaders not requiring her to be the next Yolanda Griffith.
“When I came (Coach Boucek) told me that there was no pressure,” said Harper. “She told me I was just going to do what I can do best and the things I like to focus on, like rebounding and running the floor and everything else is going to come easy. She wanted me to just put no pressure on myself, just to play and have fun.”
That said, Harper recognizes that she and Williams-Strong have to work a little harder to help make up for the absence of Griffith. And Boucek admits that the team’s rookies don’t have the luxury of coming along as slowly as those of years past.
Seven games into her WNBA career, Harper has already made one start – for an ill Williams-Strong – and is averaging 19.4 minutes, which is the sixth-highest clip on the team. But Harper has responded by averaging solid first-year numbers of 6.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest. And considering Harper’s physical style of play is well-suited to that of the Monarchs, she could very well see increased minutes as the season rolls on.
"Her innate ability to rebound and put the ball up and go to the foul line has already helped us immensely," said Williams-Strong. "We need her. We need every single person on this team, but especially in the post we need her.”
So far the combination of Harper and Williams-Strong at the pivot seems to be working fine for the Monarchs, who once again are a playoff contender despite lacking the buzz of other teams. And while all parties involved appreciate what Griffith accomplished in Sacramento, they’re also ready to move on, if they haven’t already.
"Now we’re just our own team and we’re doing our own thing," said Williams-Strong. "When it’s all said and done and the season’s over and (Griffith's) career is over, I’m sure they’ll retire her jersey. But right now we don’t think about her all that much anymore."